The Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series #3)

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The Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #3)

4.26 of 5 stars 4.26 · rating details · 159,964 ratings · 6,758 reviews

This terrific YA series by mystery writer Rick Riordan revamps Greek mythology in a fun, fresh way kids find absolutely enthralling. Percy Jackson is a trouble-prone teenager with attention deficit disorder and dyslexia. He's also the half-blood son of Poseidon (yes, that Poseidon!), one of 12 Olympian gods making mischief right here in 21st-century America. Riordan ratche...more

ebook, 213 pages

Published May 5th 2009 by Disney Book Group (first published May 5th 2007)

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Aug 28, 2010 Cara rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, fantasy, male-protagonist, series, books-i-own

I have yet to be dissapointed in this series. A real rarity in a fantasy series in general.

The story starts out with Percy, Annabeth, and Thalia trying to help Grover to sneak out two half-bloods from a private military style school. Things get immediately messy and they stumble upon yet another problem, or more like a crisis. In the process of a battle Annabeth is stolen away. Something called The General is out again wrecking havoc and as you can already tell Luke has a hand in all this. This...more

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Feb 06, 2013 Mike (the Paladin) rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-fantasy

Let me open by saying...Rick Riordan, I'm sorry for what I'm about to say. I'm an unpublished writer and I know the best I can hope for is that at some point some will like what I write, and some will well, rip it.

I've not been "real complimentary' of these books up to this point, I gave each 3 stars...said they were what I'd call, "not bad". I dropped this one to 2 stars...it's getting to "bad".

First, I must say apologetically that the writing isn't all that great. I know these have sold millio...more Let me open by saying...Rick Riordan, I'm sorry for what I'm about to say. I'm an unpublished writer and I know the best I can hope for is that at some point some will like what I write, and some will well, rip it.

I've not been "real complimentary' of these books up to this point, I gave each 3 stars...said they were what I'd call, "not bad". I dropped this one to 2 stars...it's getting to "bad".

First, I must say apologetically that the writing isn't all that great. I know these have sold millions and we have the first movie in what I know a lot of people hope will be a series. I can't account for people's taste, I mean look at Gilligan's Island. Reading these books I must say that somewhere there's probably a toddler with a parent reading them to him/her who is thinking something like, "Percy is just now getting that? I figured it out 5 chapters ago". Percy Jackson is without a doubt as dense as a locust fence post. The kid is written so thick I'm surprised he can get his shoes on. I'd never have trusted this kid with a butter knife, much less a magic sword (of course luckily it won't hurt "mortals" only "immortals' as it's made of celestial bronze. This must be an odd kind of bronze as I know all bronze I've come in contact with is pretty much as solid as any other metal.).

Aside from the usual problem of Percy being so frustratingly (your going to see that word or it's root "frustrate" a few times in this review) thick this book manages to go to new heights in it's efforts to drive readers into banging their heads into walls. Without giving a spoiler, there is another regular character in the books who has been sort of the "counter-point" to Percy's inability to understand the most elementary event. Her character has been fairly well established. SO, to set up the action in this book the author has her do something so frustratingly (yes, there's the word) stupid and against character that I knew things weren't going to go well. Yes, I got what was supposed to be the reason in/for the act...but she'd never have acted so stupidly, not the girl we met in the first 2 books.

There are other problems here that were smaller in the first two books but apparently like wounds left untended have festered and are now overpowering the rest of the story. His playing fast and loose with history and myth are getting beyond my tolerance. He managed to turn Artemis the hunter into a sort of female Peter Pan and her huntresses into a girls club of "lost girls" instead of "lost boys" stuck at that age where little boys go "yuck girls" and little girls go "yuck boys". I could almost hear them singing...." I won't grow up, I won't grow up...I don't want to go to school, I don't want to go to school...." Need I say any more, maybe the story's take on Hercules? Maybe more of the incorrect slant given to the Greek Pantheon?

If ignorance was contagious or misinformation was infectious this book would be banned by the CDC.

I've been treating these books as YA books. They are so frustratingly simplistic I think I need to think of them more as juvenile level reads and go from there. I got them from the library and the next 2 are laying here (the second through the 5th came in together). Were I buying these I'd probably have stopped earlier, this one would bring me even closer to it. Were my kids still small and had they gotten into these I'd definitely go over anything they were picking up from them book by book.

On the positive side (I need to say something positive) the books do manage to show the pettiness and selfishness that was so prevalent in the character of the deities and heroes of Greek myth. It fails in filling that out, but it is there.

I live in hope that the next book won't frustrate me as badly as this one has. "Where there's life there's hope" as the old saying goes...and I keep hoping. I'll drop this volume to 2 stars and hope the next is better. (less)

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Aug 18, 2010 Valerie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: male-protagonist, fantasy, books-i-own

Really this series has thus far been very dependable. I wasn't let down by The Titan's Curse at all and for an in between book it was very entertaining.

Mission: Save the goddess Artemis, Annabeth, and find a deadly creature that could possible destroy Olympus.

The Team: Percy (obviously), Grover (wouldn't have it any other way), Thalia (inevitable), and two huntresses called Zoe and Bianca.

It's just as funny as the other two and still full of action. The hints in this book are a bit more subtle...more

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Apr 16, 2012 Namratha Kumar rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: childrens-fantasy, ya-lit, books-i-love-gollum-style, adventure, fantasy, mystery, mythology, urban-fantasy

Having celebrity parents is a double-edged sword. And when they happen to be temperamental IMMORTAL Greek Gods...it’s a whole new ball game.

Artemis, The Goddess of The Hunt is M.I.A. and Annabeth, Percy’s “good friend” and fellow half-blood is missing AND in grave danger. Two new undetermined and powerful half-bloods, Bianca and Nico di Angelo have made an appearance. Luke and his dastardly plans of resurrecting Kronos are in full swing but now he seems to have an even more chilling ordeal set u...more

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Jan 06, 2009 Cathy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, mythology, read-in-2009, frequently-re-read

Got my 10 yr-old friend to read the series and he's enjoying them as much as I did. He read book 2 over one week during winter vacation! We're having a great time discussing the story and even some of the deeper concepts. If you haven't picked them up, do it!

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Feb 06, 2009 Susannah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure, book-you-stay-up-late-to-read, childhood-classic, fantasy, favorite-books, summer-reading

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 12, 2011 Renz rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"Only a dream, but I was sure of two things: Annabeth was in terrible danger. And Luke was responsible."

Olympus is above the Empire State Building, Hades' Castle is under Hollywood, Sea of Monsters is the Bermuda Triangle, How about the Mount Othrys? Mount Othrys was the base of the Titans during the ten year war with the Olympian Gods. It is located in Mt Tamalpais, San Francisco, where you can see Atlas carrying the heaven.

Percy Jackson is back with Annabeth Chase, Grover Underwood and a new...more "Only a dream, but I was sure of two things: Annabeth was in terrible danger. And Luke was responsible."

Olympus is above the Empire State Building, Hades' Castle is under Hollywood, Sea of Monsters is the Bermuda Triangle, How about the Mount Othrys? Mount Othrys was the base of the Titans during the ten year war with the Olympian Gods. It is located in Mt Tamalpais, San Francisco, where you can see Atlas carrying the heaven.

Percy Jackson is back with Annabeth Chase, Grover Underwood and a new friend, Thalia Grace (daughter of Zeus: The Sky God.) They found 2 new demigods, Nico and Bianca Di Angelo. A monster kidnapped Annabeth and Artemis, Goddess of Hunt and Moon. Percy Jackson, Thalia Grace and Grover Underwood, together with two of Artemis' Huntress, Zoe Nightshade and Bianca Di Angelo, must save Artemis, find the monster that can destroy Olympus and Percy Jackson also wants to save Annabeth. They must finish the three quests before the Winter Solstice.

The Titan's Curse is the 3rd book of Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. It is better than the 1st and 2nd book. It is fast paced, action packed and exciting. You'll never expect every events in the book, so unpredictable. (Fortunately, my friends stopped spoiling the story for me.) The twists in the story are so great, I can't put it down and stop reading it. The characters are funnier, I always find myself smiling while reading it. The addition of new characters makes the story more interesting. Their quests are harder this time, 3 quests, same deadline, stronger and immortal enemies and no exact details where to go.

Percy Jackson is a lot stronger and smarter. He can come up with strategies that can help them defeat or overcome a monster. Being Percy Jackson just for a day would be really awesome, I pray to all Gods. Thalia is awesome, she's the reason why I'm so excited to read this book. She's very powerful and brave. I also like Zoe Nightshade. Her bossy characteristic, seriousness, ancient way to say the word "you" and archery skills are the things that I like.

5 stars. If I can give 6 stars, I'll do it!!(less)

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Nov 04, 2007 Courtney rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-and-science-fiction, myths, reluctant-reader-appeal, booktalk-this

Percy Jackson is back... and Annabelle is missing! Grover, Thalia, and Percy must team up with the Hunters (Artemis' immortal virgin maidens) to find Annabelle and Artemis. If only Grover didn't spend all of his time mooning of the Hunters and guzzling coffee... If only Thalia, daughter of the god of the sky, wasn't afraid of heights... If only the Hunters didn't despise Percy just because he's a guy... oh yeah. This quest is going to be just great.

This was a delightfully funny installment to Ri...more

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Apr 10, 2010 Ann rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, mythology, young-adult, actionadventure

I thoroughly enjoyed this third installment in the Percy Jackson series! "The Titan's Curse" introduces us to many new characters and we really seem to learn "where the series is going." By the end, Percy's future seems fairly laid out.

While I admit that I'm not as much a fan of the Percy books as many, I did find myself pretty wrapped up in the story (especially towards the end) and a little sorry when it was over. Riordan did keep me guessing, and I was surprised at a few of the outcomes of t...more

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Apr 27, 2013 Richard Due rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own-it

Highly addictive series. I'd planned to read something else between book three and four . . . but Rick Riordan has made that impossible. This was a 5-Star book all the way until the burrito/cannonball scene, for which I had to deduct an entire star.

The individuality of the characters in this series is wonderful. Not only are they quirky, fun, and endearing, but they're all highly motivated by their personal story lines. Very realistic. All too often in the world of literature, characters, once o...more

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Oct 04, 2011 Liliana ♥s Mythology rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own, greek-mythology, monsters-or-other-creatures, supernatural-abilities, favorites, gods-goddesses

Review also found here: http://lili-lost-in-a-book.blogspot.c...

OMG the Titan Kronos is rising! Yes, that is a bad thing... since he's practically trying to take over the world and what not. Okay, maybe I was exagerating a bit. But isnt that just as bad as overthrowing Zeus and the rest of the gods and replacing them with a whole bunch of demigods (including Luke the evil, lol) and having Kronos as the leader? Well it is, since Olympus moves around and happens to be over New York.

After an encoun...more

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Jan 15, 2009 Mr rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 07, 2010 Ryan Mac rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: winter-challenge-2009

It's too bad that the Percy Jackson series came out too late for J.K. Rowling to pick up some tips, especially for the last three books in the Harry Potter series. These books are fast paced, funny, full of interesting characters, references to Greek mythology and leave you with the urge to pick up the next book. You can't ask for much more than that.

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view all 5 comments

Ryan Mac I wouldn't quite call the Harry Potter series a "masterpiece" but the first three books were really good. I didn't say in my review that Percy Jackson...more
Jan 19, 2013 06:42pm

Heather I think it is interesting that you say Harry Potter is ripped off from Lord of the Rings. I read The Hobbit in high school and fully enjoyed it as a t...more
Jan 20, 2013 11:04am

Jan 31, 2010 Melissa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: misc

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Excerpt:
When the goddess Artemis goes missing, she is believed to have been kidnapped. And now it's up to Percy and his friends to find out what happened. Who is powerful enough to kidnap a goddess?

They must find Artemis before the winter solstice, when her influence on the Olympian Council could swing an important vote on the war with the Titans. Not only that, but first Percy will have to solve the mystery of a rare monster that Artemis was hunting when she disappeared -- a monster rumored to...more Excerpt:
When the goddess Artemis goes missing, she is believed to have been kidnapped. And now it's up to Percy and his friends to find out what happened. Who is powerful enough to kidnap a goddess?

They must find Artemis before the winter solstice, when her influence on the Olympian Council could swing an important vote on the war with the Titans. Not only that, but first Percy will have to solve the mystery of a rare monster that Artemis was hunting when she disappeared -- a monster rumored to be so [close:]powerful it could destroy Olympus forever

I started this book after having a really bad and rough two days. I wanted to read something that i could really escape into and this book really fit the bill. I could have finished this book in one day, but being already sleep deprived i decided to split it up.

I give the author promps for this book since it seemed the most original plot wise out all of the Percy Jackson books so far. I do believe this book was supposed to be following the "Hercules" legend, but i don't know much about the original to say so or not. The only Hercules i know is the Disney one or Kevin Sorbo. The newness of the plot really made it my favorite book out of the Percy Jackson series. Combine that with some new characters and you have one awesome book. I really adored Thalia and severely hope she appears in the other book. Besides Percy she is my other favorite character in the book. I do think she is much better than Annabeth who has the tendency to get annoying at times. Something that i was rather glad that she was absent most of the book.

This book also introduced "The Hunters" and their leader Artemis. The Hunters are a group of girls who have renounced adulthood, men, and love. They are an immortal group of maidens who follow Artemis on her hunts and where-ever else she chooses to go. Zoe, one of the hunters, is a main character of the book and i rather enjoyed her presence. I was rather sad to see her die at the end. Artemis, herself, seems to be one of the fewest gods or goddess that seem to directly favor Percy and his companions. If anything it's because she is an eternal maiden herself.

This book also really introduced and gave the gods and goddesses more spotlight that they did not have in the previous books. We meet Ares, again, in the book, but we also meet Aphrodite and Apollo as well. Both whom i immensely enjoyed. Aphrodite really reminded me to the Aphrodite from the Hercules and Xena shows. Mr. D also played a bigger part in this book. We also find out why he hates all heroes. It's something that took me completely by surprised and so i will not say.

All in all this book was a wonderful and immensely enjoyable read. ^w^

(less)

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Jun 29, 2011 Teresa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Teresa by: rhea

With seven children spending the night and then the air-conditioner breaking in the middle of that same night, this was the perfect kind of book for me to be reading when it happened.

The target audience should love all the action, which is too much for my taste, but each time I thought I might give up for that reason, an extremely clever use of a Greek myth appeared and my interest rallied. The story also picked up considerably by its middle, becoming more complex as it went on. I especially lik...more

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Jan 18, 2013 Adam J. is currently reading it · review of another edition

So far, I think this book is pretty good. I'm at the part of the book where Percy and his friends are trying to find Artemius. Rick Riordan did a great job developing the plot of this book. There are some unexpected parts that I didn't really see coming. The book is very fast-paced and the events chase each other. Percy is a well-developed character and I think he relates a bit to me. I think like he does sometimes. Kronos is a mysterious character and I really want to know a bit more about him....more

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Aug 01, 2012 Micheline rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mythology-gods-godesses, children-stories-fairytales, urban-fantasy, fantasy

The Titan's Curse is the 3rd and middle book of the Percy Jackson series. It very much follows the formula established by it's predecessors even though the action is more intense, and you certainly get the feeling that author Rick Riordan is building towards his big finale. I feel like this book easily holds up to the two previous installments, but I found myself a bit underwhelmed by certain aspects, namely the formulaic feel of the beginning of the book, and Percy's serious and multiple blunde...more The Titan's Curse is the 3rd and middle book of the Percy Jackson series. It very much follows the formula established by it's predecessors even though the action is more intense, and you certainly get the feeling that author Rick Riordan is building towards his big finale. I feel like this book easily holds up to the two previous installments, but I found myself a bit underwhelmed by certain aspects, namely the formulaic feel of the beginning of the book, and Percy's serious and multiple blunders early on. On the other hand, the introduction of new characters; gods, heroes and mythical creatures alike combined with the evident build towards the true climax of the series kept me interested and made for an overall pleasant read.

The story starts off in the usual, almost repetitive form with Percy answering a distress call from Grover, but this time the differences are that it's mid-winter instead of the beginning of the school year, and Annabeth and Thalia join Percy from the get-go. Like I mentioned, I felt a bit frustrated with our hero at the start of the book. At this point in the story, I felt like he was making a lot of rash and quite frankly stupid judgement calls just to prove a point to Thalia. And speaking of Thalia, it still felt weird to have her back, I mean we hardly had time to get used to her at the end of book2...and now here she is! It was a bit strange at first but I quickly got used to her and grew to like her well enough. Early enough in the book they return to Camp Half-Blood and a quest is served up as it always is. And as usual there is a limited time frame to accomplish the quest.

Now don't get me wrong, plenty of things surprised me along the way, despite the fact that some didn't. I really enjoyed the addition of another demi-god fathered by the Big Three and I felt that Thalia was a welcome addition to the group. There is also a much bigger part of the story involving gods, both new ones and ones we've met before but we get new and interesting details on the lot of them. Arthemis and her Hunters were easily a highlight and a really gobbled up the scenes that they were in, along with any scenes with the gods of old and new for that matter. I loved how the gods fit together into the plot as a whole and it's always neat to see them in their updated or modernized personas. Riordan really does offer an interesting twist on a mythology that we're all familiar with in some form or another.

As always, the writing style is simple and to the point, and while a first person narrative from a 14 year old boy isn't very lyrical or groundbreaking, it does make for a quick and fun read. I mentioned above that,I felt like the plot was really moving towards the true crux of the story and I'm eager to see what will happen to Percy and his friends next.(less)

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Jul 24, 2012 S.W. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: middle-grade, mythology, adventure, action, owned

This was a great book; I enjoyed this one more than Sea of Monsters. As usual, I'll try not to include any spoilers in my comments. This book has been reviewed a bazillion times so I’m sure that anyone reading this will have read plenty of other reviews already.

Percy finds himself caught up in another adventure to save the day. Along with some old and new characters, they are continually challenged by enemies that want to see them fail. The tension between some of the main characters is also ano...more

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Sep 29, 2011 Tyene rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Cominciamo col dire che basta saperne almeno un pochetto di mitologia greca per sentirsi un pò male ogni volta che Rick Riordan strapazza la povera divinità di turno. Si, perché continuo a pensare che lo sfondo mitologico sia il punto di forza della saga (e l'unica motivazione che mi ha spinto a leggere questi libri) ma davvero Riordan riduce ogni volta qualsiasi personaggio in un enorme casino (comincia con Apollo in questo libro, ma passa anche per Diana e non nominiamo tutti quelli che ha già...more
Cominciamo col dire che basta saperne almeno un pochetto di mitologia greca per sentirsi un pò male ogni volta che Rick Riordan strapazza la povera divinità di turno. Si, perché continuo a pensare che lo sfondo mitologico sia il punto di forza della saga (e l'unica motivazione che mi ha spinto a leggere questi libri) ma davvero Riordan riduce ogni volta qualsiasi personaggio in un enorme casino (comincia con Apollo in questo libro, ma passa anche per Diana e non nominiamo tutti quelli che ha già torturato nei precedenti libri).
Così sembra cne ne voglia parlare male ma non è così, dei libri di Percy Jackson che ho letto fino ad ora questo è quello che mi ha assolutamente convinto di più. La trama è megliore di quella degli altri liberi, sopratutto del secondo che secondo me è quello più privo di senso.
Dei personaggi l'unico che proprio non ho potuto sopportare è stata Zoe. Mamma mia, è davvero troppo Mary Sue per i miei gusti! Voglio dire è bella, era amata da Ercole (tradita si, ma non per colpa sua.. anzi), prima cacciatrice di artemide, figlia di Atlante, bravissima con l'arco, capace di prevedere il futuro (ehi, questa era una cosa di Apollo però che cosa c'entra esattamente con una cacciatrice di Artemide?) e diventa pure una costellazione dopo la sua morte (come se nessuno notasse delle nuove stelle improvvisamente apparse in cielo), insomma è davvero troppo per un personaggio solo.
Gli altri mi sono piaciuti tutti, anche se Nico ha avuto un pò troppo poco spazio per i miei gusti (per dire che non c'è stato mai in tutto il libro) quando mi sembrava un personaggio interessante (un pò troppo facile capire di chi era parente XD ma magari sono solo io che l'ho trovato scontato e comunque la cosa potrebbe avere risvolti interessanti nei prossimi libri).
Mi è piaciuto particolarmente il finale, sopratutto la parte con gli dei. Perché non li avevamo ancora visti almeno non tutti, ed io ero abbastanza curiosa di vedere come li avrebbe ridott.. em descritti!
Tutto sommato un libro carino

"Raccolsi la statuina che Bianca aveva recuperato nella discarica per Nico. "Era l'unica che gli mancava" aveva detto. L'ultimo regalo di sua sorella. La guardai con orrore, perché in quell'istante compresi il motivo per cui la faccia mi sembrava familiare. L'avevo già vista.
Era una statuina di Ade, Signore dei Morti.(less)

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Jul 08, 2011 Giselle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: middle-grade, mythology

This was a much more entertaining and mature story than the first two of the series. It feels like we're getting into the actual "paramount" storyline for the final books instead of beating around the bushes.

The pace is still as fast as before. So a lot of action, no getting bored and just the right amount of humour. I find the writing is improving a bit as the series moves forward. I found myself laughing along at the jokes instead of rolling my eyes. It was still a bit predictable with easily...more

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Jan 03, 2011 Saniya(Will Herondale is mine) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: borrowed, favorites

I loved this book. It was better than the previous books and I read this book Non-stop. The Adventures and actions scenes were more and its like Rick Riordan had listened to my problems and solved it. And this book had freaking surprised me, alot!

MIGHT CONTAIN SPOILERS! (I guess)
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Me: Woo-hoo! We both are in eighth grade! High five! *Raises hand*
Percy: Oh yeah! *High fives!*
Annabeth: Per-c-c-y......more

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Oct 17, 2010 Irene rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, sci-fi-fantasy

If I could, I'd give this book 2 1/2 stars.

I don't know if there's just "too much of the same" as the series progresses, but I just didn't enjoy this book as much as the first two.

The first book did a good job of not making Percy Jackson too Harry Potter-esque, especially by having Percy understand the importance of keeping Chiron apprised of all relevant dreams and information. The second book started to falter in this regard, and now the third book has Percy Jackson inexplicably and annoyingl...more

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Jul 09, 2010 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Guest Review by Daisy Dad

When I started the third installment of Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Titan’s Curse – I really didn’t want to like it. I read and reviewed the first two and you may remember that I was hung up over the similarities to the Harry Potter series. The Characters, the situations, even the games that they play (I still enjoyed the Quidditch matches of HP over Capture the Flag and/or Chariot Races of PJ). But then I was talking to another father about the...more Guest Review by Daisy Dad

When I started the third installment of Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Titan’s Curse – I really didn’t want to like it. I read and reviewed the first two and you may remember that I was hung up over the similarities to the Harry Potter series. The Characters, the situations, even the games that they play (I still enjoyed the Quidditch matches of HP over Capture the Flag and/or Chariot Races of PJ). But then I was talking to another father about the two series and he is a HUGH Percy fan and said that Harry was “just o.k”. JUST O.K.???? I almost fell over. I bit my tongue and allowed him to explain. He felt that while the Potter books were extremely entertaining, he really appreciated the teaching of Greek Mythology in a new, interesting and original way. I mentioned in my first review of The Lightning Thief that I wanted to go back and read D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths or maybe Homer’s The Odyssey, but have I? I’m not going to answer that, but I will let you know that I did finish The Titan’s Curse reading it differently.

Did I like it? Yes. Was it great? No. Unfortunately, I think Mr. Riordan missed a couple of opportunities to make his work stand above the critics (like me) that his books are subtle knock-offs of another series that “will not be named”. The best example of this is when the di Angelo siblings are introduced as the newest half-bloods in the story. An opportunity to explore these character’s feelings as they learn of their new identities as a daughter and son of a god was lost. I thought it would be interesting to see a different perspective than that of Percy’s, but that was not to be so. This installment is also basically the same as the first – a journey across the United States to save the world from the return of the Titan Kronos.

But the true craft that I have finally appreciated is the way Riordan weaves Greek myth into a modern day adventure. The Lightning Thief was the myth of Odysseus, The Sea of Monsters was the myth of Jason & the Argonauts, and now The Titan’s Curse is the myth of Hercules. And not a glossing over of those myths – a full telling with many of the side stories and details of the mythology that I would doubt would be learned in any elementary school or junior high. I lost myself in the adventure and spent less time making comparisons. I am a sucker for young love and the author does a nice job with the awkwardness of it, and I look forward to see how it develops further in the next two books. Knowing his audience, I also appreciated how death and the loss of a loved one were handled in this book.

I may have to read something else now and let some anticipation build for The Battle of the Labyrinth. What new Greek myths will I learn next?
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Aug 07, 2010 MK (Consultant, Corporal Therapist) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, urban-fantasy, challenge-rtsm-summer-july, city-new-york, books-read-2010

The Titan’s Curse is another slam dunk in this awesome children’s series. It’s not often I agree with or believe the hype, but yes, it’s true. You should go ahead and believe it too! Percy is really easy to like/who root for/a friend you want. He is a young man,not all that smart but brave enough to challenge the Gods? To quest to find out what the imprisoned Titans are planning.

Thalia, Zues’, daughter, joins the team.All strength is needed for a what the Oracle spoke [posted at the end of revi...more

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Nov 17, 2009 Justyn Rampa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, childrens

After the small bump in Percy Jackson's story known as "The Sea of Monsters", Mr. Riordan returns to form in "The Titan's Curse" which I may have enjoyed more than "Lightening Thief". Without revealing spoilers, I will say that "The Titan's Curse" is an incredibly strong and action packed book. This book is the turning point in the maturity for most of the characters. In fact tears welled in my eyes not once, but twice ladies and gentlemen! TWICE! They are two years older and an uncertain future...more

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Apr 05, 2010 Callista rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, fairytale-myth

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 04, 2010 Janeen-san rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When I pick up one of these Percy Jackson books, I always get a chill up my spine. Whenever I set eyes on the cover, I fondly rememeber the first time I read it; I remeber the gods, I remember all the schools Percy destroyed, I think of Grover, thouhtful Annabeth, and Percy's hilarious half-brother Tyson the cyclopse.
I remember all the adventures of the son of the Sea God, Percy Jackson.

Okay, let me make this clear: I would never, as long as I live, get tired of the Percy Jackson sereis. Howeve...more

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Mar 10, 2009 Nick Peterson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The book I read is called the Titans Curse by Rick Riordan.

It is a Fiction/Mythology genre.

It is the third book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympian's series. in the story Percy who is a half-blood (half man, half god) son of Poseidon, has to save the gods from being overthrown by Luke son of Hermes and his army of monsters. On Percy's journey, he learns that he is traveling with the son and daughter of Hades. now things have gotten much worse because if Luke captures Hades son and daughter the...more

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Jul 28, 2010 ♫ נєηη - ѕσυℓ σƒ ѕσυη∂ ♫ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: novel, series, books-i-got-shivers-from, most-memorable-characters, must-reads-before-you-die, covers-i-♥, writers-i-look-up-to, favorites

FIRST: I must say that there are minor spoilers in this. I do not like the ugly asterisk that they have on Goodreads, so I just put it up myself. IN BOLD. Because I'm cool like that.

Okay. I completely loved this. It was my second favorite in the series. :3

And now comes the end of the "We need to save someone!" trilogy, and begins a new one.

Not really. But I look at it that way. The books were being repetitive, but the amazingtasticness totally made up for it. Look, I just made up a word. :D

Rick...more

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May 15, 2009 Alexis rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: middle-grade, mythology, my-reviews

Percy Jackson is in trouble again. What seems like a simple mission to pick up a pair of half-bloods at a boarding school turns into a fight with a monster and a meeting with a goddess - and her entourage. When that goddess goes missing, along with a Very Important Person, it's Quest Time! The group is a mix of old and new, and in this case it pays to know your history. New monsters of all different inclinations pop up to join the adventure, along with some parents and inanimate objects. It's a...more Percy Jackson is in trouble again. What seems like a simple mission to pick up a pair of half-bloods at a boarding school turns into a fight with a monster and a meeting with a goddess - and her entourage. When that goddess goes missing, along with a Very Important Person, it's Quest Time! The group is a mix of old and new, and in this case it pays to know your history. New monsters of all different inclinations pop up to join the adventure, along with some parents and inanimate objects. It's a good thing this is what Percy and his friends have been training for, because with Kronos and his army rising in strength, the heroes are going to be in for a fight. Especially if they don't have the kidnapped goddess back in time for the winter solstice council meeting, located on a certain mountain high above the Empire State Building...

In this third installment of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, more of the gods and goddesses come out to play, and it's really entertaining. There's a new prophecy that sparks the quest, and some revelations about parentage. Percy finally seems to be getting the hang of this whole hero thing, and he is pretty heroic for a fourteen-year-old son of a sea god. Old things are awakening, and new players are introduced. Percy remains a likable protagonist. He stays true to himself and to his friends, and grows more mature in his decisions. He's still impulsive sometimes, still dyslexic, and still utterly relatable to the fan base that loves him so much. These books are great for middle grade boys (and girls!), but anyone can enjoy them.

I feel bad giving this three stars, but I really didn't think it was as good as the previous two. The Titan's Curse is the only one so far that felt like a kid's book. It didn't grab me the same way, and the pacing felt off. There was a lot of action, but it occasionally felt rushed, and the rest of it somehow managed to feel slow. Even Percy's narrative voice seemed off, like he was just matter-of-factly explaining all the events. One of my favorite characters was largely absent throughout the novel, and I wasn't crazy about the dynamics between the questing characters. Oh, and there's a direct Harry Dresden ripoff item in there for a short time. Just saying.

Percy is still insightful and funny, but although he's getting older and is fully aware of the danger he faces he can't be bothered to demand all the facts from the people around him? The thing that bugged me the most was how everyone withheld information from each other, or didn't see fit to share or question obviously strange occurrences. (Or they'd wait until the last possible minute to ask questions.) Like they haven't figured out by now that things aren't always what they seem. That practice in books really diminishes my enjoyment of the story, because it makes the characters look stupid and dense. I also disagreed with some of the decisions made. They didn't always make sense, although in the long run it would work out to the heroes' advantage and end up feeling contrived. And there was a very Lyra Belaqcua-ish quality of ignoring advice given by higher ups and thus making more trouble than necessary. Good job, kids. It's definitely a good idea to disregard the advice given to you in favor of your own entertainment. Not like you haven't been on quests before and don't know the drill. Yeah...

I have the feeling (the hope) this might be the weakest because it's the middle book of the series. I thought The Lightning Thief and Sea of Monsters were excellent. So maybe this is like the typically weaker second book in a trilogy. Maybe the next two will be amazing. I hope so.

Read for the Wild Things Reading Challenge #1: 25 Point Task: 4. Read any two books from a Young Adult series.(less)

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About Rick Riordan

Born: June 5, 1964

Place of Birth: San Antonio, TX

Education: Attended Alamo Heights High School in San Antonio. Worked as an editor for the school newspaper and won third place in state for UIL feature writing. Also got in trouble for publishing an underground newspaper that made fun of the school, especially the losing football team. (The football team later egged my car). Began college at North T...more

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Books by Rick Riordan

The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #1)

The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #4)

The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #5)

The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #2)

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Quotes from The Titan's Curse

“Ever had a flying burrito hit you? Well, it's a deadly projectile, right up there with cannonballs and grenades.” — 3,175 people liked it

“Grover was sniffing the wind, looking nervous. He fished out his acorns and threw them into the sand, then played his pipes. They rearranged themselves in a pattern that made no sense to me, but Grover looked concerned.
"That's us," he said. "Those five nuts right there."
"Which one is me?" I asked.
"The little deformed one," Zoe suggested.
"Oh, shut up.” — 2,215 people liked it

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The Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #3)

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